5 Best Tips For Urban Wildlife Spotting

Where To Find Urban Wildlife

The Urban environment might at times seem devoid of wildlife and people may wonder if there’s anything worth seeing. Urban wildlife spotting can be both exhilarating and adventurers only if you know where to find them. In reality, urban communities can be home to quite a few urban wildlife species. These species consist mostly of animals that utilize human-dominated ecosystems.

Urban wildlife can be as a result of human encroachment into their habitat or as a result of human activities. Suburban areas in cities create healthy habitats for urban wildlife, the abundance of food, green spaces, water and places to breed.

The following are the most common urban wildlife habitats:

Recreational Urban Parks

Most urban cities have adopted habitat conservation by incorporating wildlife parks in recreational facilities such as in public parks. Most authorities have done this with the goal of preserving biodiversity in less disturbed ecosystems. Some animals adapt well to such an environment, especially if people bring food to the park, and there is an availability of water sources such as pools or leaky drinking fountain.

A portion of some these parks has been left in their natural form with wilderness where animals can proliferate. For urban dwellers, such places are ideal for spotting urban wildlife. Moreover, it is the utter delight to share space with wild animals.

Water Sources

There are many water sources available in urban areas, and this creates an excellent ecological habitat for several fish species, birds as well as animals. These water sources may include rivers, streams, ponds, springs, and wetlands. Apart from providing shelter to the fish, animals need water for survival whereas birds need to take a bath for clean feathers.

Water sources are the best place for spotting urban wildlife such as ducks, muskrats, and dragonflies who love visiting water bodies such as streams to forage for food. Land animals too can be spotted when they come for a drink.

Backyards/Gardens

Most urban residents have beautifully landscaped gardens with various plants and flowers. These usually provide a sustainable habitat for different types of insects such as butterflies as well as birds. Lovely flowers in the garden attract hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies that rely on them for food. Visiting such urban areas makes urban wildlife sporting easy.

Wild urban gardens with numerous plant species and water sources such as ponds and streams make an excellent habitat for various species of wildlife. Most bird species find shelter and food within such a wildlife-friendly garden. For instance, a pond may host several species of water wildlife and insects. This will, in turn, provide a source of food to some of the birds.

Building’s Rooftops

Some urban buildings and skyscrapers designs attract animals to them. Parts of a building such as ledges and chimneys can provide roosting and nesting places for birds if not properly constructed. For example, chimney swifts are birds that like roosting on tall chimneys of buildings. They, in turn, attract predators such as kestrels that will fly into these chimneys to get them.

Various potted flowers and plants hanged on verandas and rooftops of buildings attract wildlife such as butterflies. Other creatures such as birds can be found on the rooftops of buildings and other rocky surfaces of buildings. According to the winged creatures, they view building’s rooftops as cliffs and hence a good habitat for them.

Cemeteries And Golf Courses

Although most golf courses and cemeteries have been well landscaped with mowed lawns and ornamental shrubs and large trees, wildlife species abound. Birds are the animal species most found in these areas where they find a nesting place. Human disturbance in cemeteries are minimal and hence making them the best place for different bird species to inhabit.

As compared to any other natural public area, a naturally landscaped golf course is equivalent to a natural bird sanctuary since it has more bird species. This is because most golf courses have been carved out of the woods which are usually a natural wildlife habitat. Areas along the fairways remain fairly undisturbed.

In general, being an urban dweller does not necessarily restrict you from enjoying the pleasures of interacting with wildlife. All that is required of you is to know the most suitable places to find them. As we have seen, different types of urban areas are capable of supporting various types of urban wildlife.

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